The present disclosure relates to apparatuses, systems, and methods for shoulder surgery, more particularly to rotator cuff sparing devices and methods used during total shoulder arthroplasty.
Each year, many patients suffer from arthritis of the shoulder. Shoulder arthritis may arise from trauma, osteoarthritis, or secondary to other arthritic processes such as rheumatoid arthritis. Shoulder arthroplasty has become an advantageous surgery for patients that suffer from shoulder pain. One of the drawbacks of the surgery is the need to take down the rotator cuff so that the procedure may be performed. Shoulder arthroplasty has been performed traditionally from an anterior approach where the rotator cuff is removed and reattached at the end of the case. Shoulder replacement has traditionally shown good outcomes, but recovery may take up to 6-12 months. One of the major complications of total shoulder arthroplasty is rotator cuff failure and the pain and instability associated with this issue. Additionally, a technical issue related to the surgery is the difficulty associated with exposure of the shoulder socket which, due to the arthritic process, may be directed posteriorly. Existing systems may be insufficient to address such concerns because of difficulties associated with effectively introducing and positioning implant components for shoulder arthroplasty.